The Patriots quarterback and head coach agree that the offense must play better to win the Lombardi Trophy
FOXBOROUGH — Cuando Drake Maye was in seventh grade, attended Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California, to watch his beloved Carolina Panthers take on the Denver Broncos.
A decade later, the 23-year-old will return to the Super Bowl in the same place, this time as the starting quarterback of the New England Patriotsfacing the Seattle Seahawks.
“It’s a complete cycle,” he declared. Drake Maye after the 10-7 road victory against the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game. “My father [Mark] He said if the Panthers came, we would go. “It was heartbreaking when they lost.”
Drake Maye He hopes for a better result for his team this time, but knows he will probably have to change some things for that to happen.
After leading the NFL in QBR in the regular season by a wide margin (77.1), Drake Maye in the playoffs (51.1) is the fourth-lowest of any quarterback who reaches the Super Bowl since 2006, since the Patriots They have faced a number of formidable defenses: the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans and Broncos, all in the top 10 in points conceded. The challenge is further intensified in the Super Bowlas the Seahawks finished the regular season with the fewest points allowed in the league, at 16.4 per game.
Los Patriots They will make history if they can beat the Seahawks, as no team has beaten four of the top 10 defenses in points allowed in a single postseason, according to ESPN Research.
Part of the decrease in performance Drake Maye Sunday is because he played half the game against Denver with a focus on the running game due to the snow and wind conditions, and his ability to make plays with his legs proved vital. But even before the weather changed, the offense wasn’t fully working, as they have acknowledged. Drake Maye and the head coach Mike Vrabel.
Los Patriots They’ve also struggled mightily on third downs this postseason, converting just 30.2 percent of 43 attempts, and in the red zone, scoring a touchdown on just 33.3 percent of their trips.
“We will have to correct many things and play our best game in two weeks if we want to be champions,” he said. Mike Vrabel.
In general, the Patriots They average 18 points per game in the playoffs, the fourth lowest figure for a team that reaches the Super Bowl and the lowest since 1979.
The physical condition of Drake Maye could also be a factor.
As part of your usual routine, Drake Maye He planned to spend time with the team’s physical therapist and trainer, Zach Gerber, whom the quarterback has thanked for helping him endure the physical toll of the season.
Drake Maye He was sacked five times Sunday and took other hits. One notable hit occurred at the end of a 13-yard run late in the third quarter; in that play, Drake Maye He slid awkwardly and was tackled by safety Talanoa Hufanga, landing on his throwing shoulder.
When ESPN asked him how he felt physically after the Conference Final, Drake Maye He admitted to having “some bumps and bruises,” before adding: “But hey, that’s how it is.”
“I think a lot of the guys in the locker room are dealing with some discomfort,” he said. “At the same time, the best thing of all is that we have another chance. Another chance to bounce back. Two weeks: a chance to win the Super Bowl. “That’s what it’s all about, and that’s great.”
